before, for env-update to complete successfully (like in Code Listing 1.5), like it's written in gentoo-x86-quickinstall Listings 2.14-2.15. (Note, in gentoo-x86-quickinstall chroot is in listing 2.16 , i.e. after unpacking Portage.)

You should define the timezone that you previously copied to /etc/localtime in the /etc/timezone file so that further upgrades of the sys-libs/timezone-data package can update /etc/localtime automatically.

Well, what do you know. This must be a recent update to the handbook. I have yet to make a fresh install using this method, so I will have to defer to someone else with more experience using this method.

But if you're new to Gentoo, I can tell you when I started out, I did installs more than once because I missed a step or didn't quite understand something. But not to worry! You'll get to the point where you'll know it like the back of your ha - hey! What's this?

(chroot) livecd portage # emerge-webrsync
Fetching most recent snapshot ...
* Latest snapshot date: 20121230
*
* Approximate snapshot timestamp: 1356914700
* Current local timestamp: 1356914101
*
* The current local timestamp is possibly identical to the
* timestamp of the latest snapshot. In order to force sync, use
* the --revert option or remove the timestamp file located at
* '/usr/portage/metadata/timestamp.x'.

.

Still, in current handbook, chapter 6, emerge-webrsync could be found in "Code Listing 2.1: Running emerge-webrsync to install a Portage snapshot" , which is below "Code Listing 1.5: Chrooting into the new environment"....

You're right about the PORTDIR_OVERLAY error. This section of the handbook was reordered and changed slightly. I think the error is harmless, but if you post a bug for it https://bugs.gentoo.org/ the maintainers will probably fix it however is appropriate. Quite a few people have come across this and can confirm it.